


Preference

by NocturnaIV



Series: Their Captain [2]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types
Genre: Because Harry always interacts with Jay as if their dynamics were tense due to SOMETHING, Friendship, Gen, Harry & Uma & Gil Friendship, Jay has Flotsam and Jetsam's offspring as sidekicks, Pre-Descendants (2015), Sea Three, So I have some ideas about that, Uma & Gil Friendship, or because of someone, that's canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 06:28:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20523467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NocturnaIV/pseuds/NocturnaIV
Summary: Jay had a conquering smile, just like Harry. Not so sharp and dangerous. And almost as attractive. She preferred Harry's smile. He made her think of a shark about to attack. Jay was flirtatious and charismatic, he managed to win over the merchants with his huge smile and innocent eyes. Gil wasn’t flirtatious, but people easily became fond of him. Uma preferred Gil's gaze, perhaps because he was sincere.





	Preference

**Author's Note:**

> My first language is Spanish, but I hope you can enjoy this story. I apologize if some parts are misspelled. You will already imagine that with the language barrier it was impossible for me to write the accents of them, right?

Uma looked at Flotsam and Jetsam offspring. She had always believed that they would be hers. Because that made sense to Uma. Her mother had Flotsam and Jetsam, so, she would have their descendants, right? But it hadn't been that way and she shouldn't even be surprised. When she turned six years old, nobody gave her sidekicks. Because giving a sidekick to a villain’s child was a way of please the villain. But that only happened if the villain showed interest in their kids. Ursula wasn’t like that. Uma was eight years old and had already decided that she didn't need sidekicks. Because she didn't want to be used to reach her mother.

"What names did you give them?" She asked.

Jay jumped out of his bed and looked at the huge fish tank. The electric eels were still so small that she could barely see them. But they were swimming in front of Uma as if they could recognize her. Maybe they did. Like the sharks of the Island.

"Lagan and Derelict."

"Did you choose them?"

Jay nodded and looked at her mischievously.

She smiled. Uma wouldn’t have expected him to know those words. _Lagan, _for goods heavy enough to sink into the sea and tied to a marker, so they can be found again. _Derelict, _for goods that sink into the sea and cannot be recovered. Uma had thought to give them exactly those names.

"But they grow very slow." Jay commented.

“They aren’t normal eels. They will live and grow for a long time.”

Flotsam and Jetsam were huge. Her mother had told her, they would continue to grow. She had imagined that Lagan and Derelict would be her partners and that eventually, they would be monstrous. Beautifully monstrous. Like sea creatures of legends. But now they belonged to Jay. She didn’t understand why her mother had agreed to give Jafar's son the offspring of her beloved sidekicks.

"What are yours?" Jay asked.

Curiously, she thought of Harry and Gil. Those last weeks she had spent time with them. _Training_. On the Island the children didn’t play, they prepared to survive. So, she had decided to learn to use a sword. Besides, Harry knew the cheater style of pirates. And Gil was a great melee fighter. She was agile and fast. So, all three made a good team. To train.

... and being with them was fun.

It shouldn't be, but it was hopeless that she would smile when they train.

"I don't have sidekicks." Uma replied.

"But I've seen you swim." Jay leaned in her direction. "With sharks, I thought one of them was your partner."

Uma raised her chin. He was taller and like Harry and Gil already showed how attractive he would be in the future. As some children on the Island, Jay had grown up doing the hard work that his father orders him. He already showed some muscles. Like Harry and Gil. He also had a conquering smile, just like Harry. Not so sharp and dangerous; and almost as gorgeous. But she preferred Harry's smile. He made her think of a shark about to attack.

"I am a sea witch." Uma explained. "And sharks are interesting."

She looked at the electric eels. She already wanted them to grow up. Now that her mother had ordered her to visit them, maybe she could see them become as big as their parents. Although it was strange that a son of the desert was given sea creatures as a gift. It was also strange that her mother ordered her to spend time with Jay.

Jay's hand touched her shoulder and she looked at him. She wore no jewel or something he could steal. But he was smiling at her. Jay was flirtatious and charismatic, he managed to win over the merchants with his huge smile and innocent eyes. She had noticed that Gil was the same. He wasn’t flirtatious, but people easily became fond of him. Uma preferred Gil's gaze, perhaps because he was more sincere. 

She had been watching them. Harry and Gil. The way Harry wandered alone, away from pirates and as Gil was always behind his father, looking for some affection. Harry was already earning the respect or fear of other children. He never ran away from a fight and he never separated from his hook. Instead, people believed that Gil loved to fight because he always got into other people's problems. But she had realized that Gil preferred to help and used his strength to defend others.

"Uma?" Jay tried to get her attention.

She looked at him. Jay was becoming a great thief, which was ironic. Jafar was turning his son into a copy of his enemy. But she couldn’t say anything, her mother was turning her into a cook and waitress, far from enchantments and potions. The Island forced them to change.

"Uma..." Jay whispered in her ear.

But he didn't say her name like Harry, there was no admiration in his tone. Nor did he have the joy Gil used to call her. She preferred them. Jay said her name mischievously, hoping she felt special about the way he treated her. Uma lifted her chin and laughed at the boy. No, she didn't need to feel _special. _Not when it seemed he was doing her a favor for it.

"I've seen you with Captain Hook's son and Gaston's son."

"Training." She clarified.

Jay smiled more, looking at her from his height.

"I am also good with the sword."

Uma had to lift her face to look him in the eye. He looked lovely, hoping she felt interested in the option of spending time with him. Because if she was near Jay, she could be near Mal. And Malefica was the current leader of the Island. Therefore, many children wanted to please Mal. Uma smiled, Jay was taking advantage of his contacts and social position. She could respect that. In addition, Uma could admit that Jay was cute and that he would have a good future on the Island. He would be a great thief and a good fighter.

But he wasn't up to Harry and Gil. He wasn’t as strong or funny as Gil nor as skilled and charming as Harry.

"I'll think about it." Uma replied, letting go of him.

Jay didn’t lose his smile and approached the fish tank.

"If you want, you can come to visit them." He commented, slightly more relaxed. "They seem to want to get your attention."

Uma looked at him and smiled. Yes, she really wanted to visit them. He shrugged.

“So, I will have an expert who knows about electric eels. And for free.” Jay clarified.

She knew he was lying. That was very common among the children of the Island. Their parents had educated them to be selfish and cruel. Without the possibility of making friends, because that was weak. So, every time a child said something good, they quickly corrected themselves.

Except for Gil. He was always sincere and sweet. Besides, Gil liked to hug Harry and her. And although he was strong, he never hurt her. Gil's arms were nice. And Harry managed to use his hook very delicately when he caressed her. She looked at Lagan and Derelict and then at Jay. She liked him. Maybe she liked tallboys, flirtatious and with big smiles.

"I’ll visit."

After that, Uma left Jafar's house. Jay escorted her a part of the way and she watched as he smiled at other kids. He stopped to greet other people and wasted no chance of stealing anything from them. Jay was very skilled; his fingers were trained to be fast and light. She could imagine how agile Jay must be with the sword, maybe they shared the same fast-fighting style.

"Uma!"

Her eyes searched for Harry. He was alone in the middle of the market. Jay tried to put his hand on her shoulder, but she sneaked away. Because she knew what Jay was doing. He tried to demonstrate domain over Harry through her. A very common activity on the Island. Of course. But she wasn’t a territory to fight for or a future subordinate. Instead, she advanced to Harry, who smiled at her, not paying attention to Jay.

"You have free time?"

"A little." She looked at him "What do you have planned?"

Uma didn't even say goodbye to Jay. Although she knew that Jafar's son was watching them.

Harry handed her a green apple and he kept a red one. The Island didn’t have many fresh things, but the apples were incredibly and ironically common. Even so, they were the first to be bought. Uma could swear he had stolen both apples and she felt happy. Because she preferred green apples. She liked the citrus that made her shiver and managed to tickle her palate. She smiled because Harry had got her a green apple.

"I want you to teach me how to climb the ship's sails." He asked. "You are very fast."

She smiled and they followed the path of the port. The taste of the apple bristled her skin. Harry had chopped his with his hook and was giving it voracious bites. People looked at Harry as if he were crazy. But she preferred him that way, wild and unpredictable. Uma knew how to live with predators.

"You still have to practice your balance and learn to fall." She reminded him. "Today we can practice that."

Uma was still a child. But everybody knew she didn’t have the protection of her mother. But lately, she felt safer, bigger. She was no longer afraid to walk among the pirates. She knew that being with Harry Hook meant nothing because he was also rejected. But at the time, Uma felt able to fight. She liked the way Harry walked with his back straight and shoulders back. He was always confident and sometimes that was all that was needed. She preferred to be with him than sliding away so as not to attract attention.

"You know…" He looked at her, walking towards the abandoned ship where they used to spend the afternoon. "If you improve your disarmament, I think we could walk the Island with swords."

Uma looked at him mockingly. The _swords_ were taller than her. Harry, Gil and she entered with short swords and daggers.

"Us?" She asked.

Harry was a very good swordsman and she had seen him train with his sisters. Sometimes he fought with the children of his father's crew. Uma had seen him fight with older boys. And even when he lost, she could tell that his adversary was exhausted. Gil was a good fighter despite his youth. She had seen him beat older people or much bigger. Uma, on the other hand, was learning to use a sword or what were the best places to hit a bigger or stronger opponent. The boys were excellent teachers. And it was refreshing to learn more than to use her _instincts. _Her mother had always told her that they were predators, so she must instinctively know how to fight.

Harry smiled at her and slipped his hook through one of her braids. She appreciated the way he searched to caress her, but at the same time left some distance between them. It wasn’t a direct stroke. He wasn't even touching her directly. Uma preferred that hook than Jay's big hand on her shoulder. Because the time they were spending together had made Harry respect her. She knew it from the way he looked at her and seemed to lean in her direction.

"Of course. Gil, you and me.” Harry looked at her. “Don't you like it?”

He was consulting her. Harry was proposing her to be together. The three of them. Maybe like a gang. And that… That was incredibly tempting. But she didn’t answer. Her mother had assured her that they were predators, mainly for pirates and sailors. Harry was a pirate and Gil spent so much time on a ship that instead of hunting, he fished. He was a sailor, a possible pirate.

When they reached the ship, Harry ran quickly and jumped on the deck. For security measures, he didn’t leave a bridge to board. But Harry could jump long distances. He had practiced all his life by jumping from boat to boat or one to the port. So, they were sure that no one would try to do the same. Besides, Uma liked that ship. She loved that private place, away from adults and constant dangers. Apparently, that was the reason why the sharks on the Island were constantly roaming that side of the harbor.

Harry threw a rope to board, she ran and swung to reach the ship. Her foot touched the deck, but she failed to let go in time. Harry laughed and she found herself doing the same. Uma didn't like to fail, much less that people saw her do it. But the way Harry smiled, as if they were playing, made her relax and let the rope swing like a pendulum, back and forth. She applied movement, pushing her body forward to reach, but she was still very small and didn’t exert enough weight to balance the rope.

"I think I better jump." She commented.

It wouldn’t be the first time she jumped into the sea and climbed the ship.

"Harry! Uma!" Gil shouted, running in their direction.

“Actually, I have a better idea.” Harry commented, throwing another rope at Gil. “It was time for you to arrive. I think our sea witch needs help.” He joked.

"What?" Uma looked back and strongly denied "No-!"

But Gil took the rope and jumped towards the ship, colliding with her and pushing her forward. She held back a scream, but when she reached the deck, Harry put his arm around her waist, and she fell over him. For a second she looked at Harry's dangerous smile. Very proud of himself. But the next second, Gil fell behind her, crushing her among the boys.

Harry dropped his hook and covered her head so she wouldn't hurt herself. Uma encountered her face against his neck breathing his scent. He still smelled like the red apple he had eaten, but also of gunpowder and ink. Gil managed not to hurt her. But he was close. To her surprise, Uma wasn’t angry about that. Gil was the first to laugh and she joined, making her breath tickle Harry.

Uma wasn’t very fond of such intimate physical contact. Villains always used closeness to intimidate, seduce or _mark _people as their property. So, she was always ready to put her distance. But that was different. A nice different kind that she couldn't identify exactly how. Gil rolled on the floor, still laughing. Uma raised her face and noticed Harry's gaze much more relaxed. She could suspect she looked the same. When Uma observed around, she noticed that Gil had left enough space between him and Harry for her to settle there. She didn't know if they were like that because they had siblings. So close and enjoyable. But she didn't complain, she settled between the two boys, feeling the soft pressure of their bodies around her.

She felt like being in the sea, in the deepest part. That pressure that surrounded her was like being underwater. But they were warm. Uma didn't care about the cold, because she could barely feel it. But that heat made her sleepy and she struggled to keep her eyes open. She couldn't let her guard down. Not on the Island.

"Gil, what do you think about carrying swords?" Uma asked, looking up at the sky and for a distraction.

_To the barrier over them, invisible, but incredibly real. _

Sometimes she forgot she was trapped, like Lagan and Derelict in their fish tank.

The blond sat down, stealing the warm pressure she had been enjoying. But instead, he took her hand. Harry leaned on his side and smiled. She looked at that dangerous smile and felt the promise of trouble.

"Do you think I'm ready to carry one around?" Gil asked.

Uma looked at Harry. They exchanged silent looks. Harry was a strict and reckless teacher, so sometimes he lost patience. But Uma learned fast and trained with Gil. The blond was learning, and she improved her resistance against attacks that involved strength. She liked the way they practice. The three of them.

"Yes. You’re ready." Harry agreed.

"Although you could now use a dagger." She meditated. “Your strength is your main skill. The dagger could be a secret weapon.”

Harry sat down, looking at her with admiration.

"I love secret weapons."

Uma laughed without getting up and watched the boys lean in her direction. They always made eye contact with her. It was as if they were trying to be at her height or become smaller so as not to look intimidating. Not with her.

"Uma..." Harry whispered expectantly.

She got up and put her hands on their shoulders.

“I think it's time to train. We don't want to make a fool of ourselves in the first fight we have.”

She could swear that Gil howled. He didn't scream with emotion. No. He _howled_. Was that something of hunters? Harry growled though. She would say that was a loud purr behind a shark smile. Those boys were like animals. Predators. Luckily, she was good with predators.

Each of them took one of her hands and helped her up. Harry leaned down to look at her and winked.

"We are better than a thief apprentice, don't you think?" He whispered in her ear, before going for the swords.

She laughed. At the market, Harry hadn't fought Jay for her. Also, hee hadn’t claimed her for having been with Jafar's son. Instead, he showed her that it was a thousand times better to be with them than with Jay. Harry didn't treat her as if she were his property or a girl who had to be his subordinate for being the little one or less physically strong. No. Harry respected her. She could feel it.

Gil looked at her with emotion and pointed to the mast of the ship.

"Will you teach me how to climb today?"

"Only if you teach me how to tie knots." She promised.

Harry returned with them and Uma felt in her element. These guys were skilled and they knew many things that she didn't, but they were willing to teach her. They wanted to learn from Uma and asked her opinion. Besides, they had that ship and there was nothing better than being near the sea.

She didn't need sidekicks. She didn't need Jay's connections.  
Uma preferred to be with Harry and Gil. Those boys were fascinating.****

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings little creatures! So, it's canon that Jay had Flotsam and Jetsam's offspring as sidekicks? Well, Nocturna has some ideas.  
I remember when Jay was selfish in the first movie, he didn't follow the chain of command and he was flirtatious. The Jay of the Island grew up to be a charismatic thief. The idea that he interacted with Uma in childhood became interesting to me. And that she thought about how different Harry and Gil were with her compared to Jay or any other child. So this came up.
> 
> Do you have other canon data from the books about the three of them?
> 
> What did you think?
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> Nocturna IV


End file.
